Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed... – For inverting successive items
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-08
2001-01-16
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor for changing attitude of item relative to conveyed...
For inverting successive items
C198S402000, C198S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173827
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to apparatus for handling and/or cleansing tubular articles.
In the production of bottles for soft and other drinks, containers need to be produced of the right size and filled. Bottles of plastics materials are frequently used and are often supplied in a bottling plant in a “preform” state. Such preforms are shaped in the form of a relatively small test tube (closed at one end) with a threaded open upper end and a radially outwardly extending flange located just below the upper end. Each preform is gripped by its threaded end and flange, heated, and inflated in a mould until it expands to the size of the mould to provide, for example, a two or three liter container.
Any dust or debris left in the preform can have an adverse effect on the plastics during the heating and expansion phase. This often leads to weak or defective regions which, when subject to stress, are liable to rupture prematurely. To reduce this problem, the preforms are washed using a liquid spray or bath and then dried before being processed. This process is time consuming and costly because the water needs to be treated beforehand and the effluent needs to be disposed of.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for handling and/or cleansing tubular articles.
According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for cleansing tubular articles closed at their lower ends and open at their upper ends comprising means for inverting each tubular article and passing it through a cleansing station, means for providing ionised air and means for injecting the ionised air into each inverted tubular article as it passes through the cleansing station.
According to the present invention there is further provided apparatus for inverting tubular articles closed at their lower ends and open at their upper ends, the apparatus comprising an elongate tubular housing, an elongate rotary scroll accommodated within the housing and extending coaxially with said housing the scroll having a helical fin in which the space between successive turns is sized to freely accommodate an intermediate portion of each tubular article fed to the housing, said housing having a lateral inlet opening at an upstream end thereof to allow a succession of tubular articles in an upright attitude to be fed into the spaces between successive turns of the helical fin, axially extending stop means located inside the housing in the lower region thereof to be engaged by the lower portion of each tubular member to limit displacement of said member within the housing about the axis of the housing, and engagement means at a predetermined upstream location arranged to engage each said tubular article in turn, when driven in a direction parallel to the axis within the housing by the fin, cause it to rotate until it becomes inverted and is halted by engagement with said stop means, whereupon further rotation of the scroll causes the tubular article to continue its axial travel along said housing in its inverted state.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1621611 (1927-03-01), Thompson
patent: 2184100 (1939-12-01), Mondloch
patent: 2604200 (1952-07-01), Hohl et al.
patent: 3495291 (1970-02-01), Copping et al.
patent: 3595251 (1971-07-01), Tarantola
patent: 3785473 (1974-01-01), Cook
patent: 3874740 (1975-04-01), Hurd
patent: 3954171 (1976-05-01), Chick et al.
patent: 4041124 (1977-08-01), Seelye
patent: 4208761 (1980-06-01), Ionescu
patent: 4313767 (1982-02-01), Bemis et al.
patent: 5265298 (1993-11-01), Young
patent: 1914510 (1970-01-01), None
patent: 2310854 (1976-12-01), None
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Coca-Cola Enterprises Limited
Ellis Christopher P.
Mackey Patrick
LandOfFree
Apparatus for handling and/or cleansing tubular articles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for handling and/or cleansing tubular articles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for handling and/or cleansing tubular articles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2538750